Vivien
★ 4.6 · 14 reviews Edinburgh Opened October 2025
A basement cocktail bar under Vinette, from the Stuart Ralston team
Vivien opened in October 2025 in the basement below Vinette, Stuart Ralston's wine bar on Broughton Street, giving the building a second life after dark. Upstairs runs on wine and sharing plates; downstairs is built entirely around cocktails, in a small, low-lit room that feels more like a den than a typical New Town bar.
The setup means the same team can carry a full night under one roof: dinner and wine at Vinette, then a short flight of stairs down to cocktails at Vivien, no need to find a second venue. It follows a run of paired concepts opening across Edinburgh lately, a format bars in Paris and London have used for years.
What guests say
Reviews by Google-
Tsenka Georgieva 510 reviews · Local Guide 7 September 2026
Stopped by Vivien after a lovely dinner at Vinette, and what a hidden gem it turned out to be. The atmosphere has that effortless speakeasy feel - the kind of place where you can genuinely forget where you are for a moment. The drinks were exceptional, beautifully balanced and thoughtfully made. A great spot to end the evening, and one I’d happily return to.
-
Andrea 30 reviews · Local Guide 25 July 2026
Lovely first experience at the Vivien for a drink. Staff were very welcoming, friendly. Really enjoyed my drink and time, and will be back again.
-
Jamie Wilson 10 reviews 30 April 2026
Fab meal! Good service!
-
Roberta Muir 296 reviews · Local Guide 20 April 2026
This moody subterranean bar beneath French restaurant Vinette is named for British poet and author Renée Vivien who lived and wrote in Paris during the early twentieth century. It’s a great place for a pre-dinner drink as mixologist Rebekah George knows her stuff and has the gift of understanding just what each guest will enjoy, like the Bitter Nights Dream she recommended for me. This combo of butter washed rye whisky infused with cocoa nibs and mixed with plum, punt e mes and cocchi dry vermouth, was right up my alley. Grab a seat at the redlit bar if you can and let Rebekkah work her magic for you.
-
P Vyas 3 reviews 4 January 2026
We visited Vivien on New Year’s Eve and appreciated that the staff were able to accommodate us at a busy time. The space itself is interesting, but our seating by the bar had some drawbacks. There was no obvious place to put drinks, and our view directly faced the corridor to the toilets, which felt odd watching people go in and out of the loo. Service was friendly, but inconsistent. Cocktails varied. Our martinis arrived differently each time, and our chips only came after asking three times. Given the price, the overall experience felt more focused on turnover than atmosphere. This may well be early teething issues, and the restaurant itself could be excellent, but the bar was not as good as many other places in Edinburgh.
People also visited
Thank you!
Thanks, we'll take a look.